Home Buyer Pet Peeves

4 September, 2016 BY Virtual Results PubSub

Selling your home can be a stressful and challenging process. Why would you want to make it doubly so by irritating potential buyers? Here’s what you want to avoid when putting your home on the market.

Not being prepared

In today’s housing market, if you want your home to show well you need to be prepared. You will be competing against sellers who have hired professional staging companies to make their homes look as good as possible, so you’re doing yourself a disservice if potential buyers walk into your home and feel like they’re invading your personal space. Before opening up your home for showings, you need to thoroughly clean, remove clutter and relocate personal items. Remember – you want buyers to be able to envision themselves living in your home. Make their job easier by neutralizing spaces, getting rid of old or worn-out furniture and packing up all your personal belongings like family pictures and sports team memorabilia.

Not having the home available

While it can certainly be an inconvenience, you need to accommodate buyers when they request a showing. This means being ready to leave at a moment’s notice, as potential buyers will likely not feel comfortable looking at a home if the seller is present. If you make it difficult for anyone to view your home, it can hurt you down the line during negotiations. Be amiable and understand you’ll be inconvenienced from time to time during the showing process.

Not being realistic about the selling price

If you haven’t done your homework and you overprice your home, you’ll likely extend the time your house is on the market by many months. You can be sure that buyers have done their homework and are aware of what comparable prices are in your neighborhood. If your home falls outside of this range, it is quite likely many potential buyers will simply overlook your home. Working with a knowledgeable agent will help ensure that your home is priced appropriately from the start.

Not being honest about issues

If you know your home has problems, it is best to be upfront about them. Whether it’s a funky smell or issues with the roof, trying to mask problems during the selling process is only going to hurt you in the end. These issues will eventually come out during the home inspection and could delay or endanger the sale and even possibly involve you in a legal battle. When it comes to any repairs that will need to be made to the home, honesty is the best policy.

Not being emotionally detached

Yes, you have an emotional attachment to your home – that’s normal. But when it comes time to sell, you need to set those emotions to the side. Potential buyers may have different ideas about what they like – or don’t – about your home, and you can’t take it personally should they suggest doing away with something about the house that you love. Maintain a healthy emotional distance and let your agent handle any interactions that may be tough for you.